The Treasury Chamber of Kurland

Collection description

Scope and content:: The collection is composed of materials from the treasury chamber of Courland. It includes circulars, correspondence, financial records, account books of various governmental institutions and taxation lists.

The Jewish-related parts of the collection contain taxation lists of Jewish residents of Courland, including correspondence on the transfer of Jewish residents between communities; military recruitment lists from several communities (the lists also include data on the recruits' families); materials on permissions to produce and sell alcohol (including correspondence dating from 1809 on unlicensed production of vodka by Jewish residents in the area of Kuldiga).

Archival history:: After World War I and the establishment of an independent Latvia the archival materials of the Tsarist administration were consolidated in the newly established Latvian state archive that existed throughout the interwar period and after the Soviet takeover of Latvia. In 1962 the materials originating from the pre-Soviet period were deposited in the Central State Historical Archive of the Latvian SSR, predecessor of the current State Historical Archive.

Administrative/biographical history:: In the Russian empire, treasury chambers supervised the activities of banks and other financial institutions, as well as industry, trade and the collection of taxes and the registration of the governorate's population. The treasury chamber of Courland was established after the creation of the governorate of Courland in the late 18th century and functioned until after World War I.

Finding aids:: For additional data see the website of the Latvian Archives. A description of the Jewish-related materials is available at the Central Archives for the History of the Jewish People in Jerusalem.

Yerusha Network member:: Central Archives for the History of the Jewish People

Author of the description:: Alex Valdman, Central Archives for the History of the Jewish People, 2015